Commentary: The El Capitan of freshman English: Memorize a — gasp! — poem
by Joshua Curnett, Los Angeles Times
May 31, 2018
3 minutes
The task is the El Capitan of freshman English. Find a poem you like. Study it. Memorize it. Recite it to your classmates. You have two weeks to scale the poem's wall.
I've given this assignment for 20 years. It always elicits the same reaction when the students grasp the weight of what's being asked. The questions begin.
Student: "Do I have to do this, Mr. Curnett?"
Me: "Yes, everyone has to do it."
Student: "Is it for a grade?"
Me: "Yes, a huge grade that
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